Into Your Arms
by charkati
Summary: A new girl has come to Hogwarts, and Draco finds himself inexplicably drawn towards her. He would never have thought he would meet someone like him, yet so unlike him at the same time. Fifth year, with no mention of Dolores Umbridge etc.
1. For The First Time

**Chapter One**

The Great Hall was filled with students, eagerly wanting to start the new term ahead after a good rest during the summer. Everyone chatted excitedly, telling their friends about how the holidays went and what they hoped to do during the year. The Sorting Ceremony for the First Years had just ended, and the students hungrily waited for the house elves to serve them dinner. Then, someone cleared her throat.

"Attention students!" Professor McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher, called. "Before we start to eat, I must announce that the Sorting Ceremony is not quite over. This year, we have a new student who transferred into Hogwarts from Azalea, Asia's most prestigious wizard school. She is a fifth year and her name is Alessandria Chen Wyndham. Everyone, please warmly welcome her to Hogwarts. Alessandria, please come up to the front to be sorted."

A thundering applause broke out and everyone's eyes followed the dark-haired girl as she walked forward. She had raven black hair, fair skin and sparkling onyx eyes. No one had seen such a girl before. She looked like a normal, good-looking girl, but yet, her beauty was not the type typically seen.

Alessandria was extremely nervous from all the stares she was getting, but no matter, she confidently strode forward to the stool and sat down. A little gasp of surprise escaped her lips as McGonagall placed the hat on her head. A few chuckles were heard among the students.

"Hmmm, you are a tricky one. You are very bright, like those in Ravenclaw, but yet, you are very cunning. Your charisma is remarkable. Alright. You will be in SLYTHERIN!" The Sorting Hat declared, and the Slytherin table burst into applause and cheers, with a few of the Slytherin boys jumping up and down, delighted that a pretty girl had joined their house. A few groans were heard from the other houses, and some muttered about how they were going to have to deal with another Slytherin snob.

After McGonagall took the hat off Alessandria, she reluctantly got off the stool and walked timidly to the Slytherin table. The Slytherins shifted, to allow the new girl to take a seat, and as soon as she placed her bum on the chair, a whole barrage of questions hit her like a tidal wave.

'This is going to be a long night', thought Alessandria.

"Dude! Did you see that new chick that joined Slytherin today? Wow." Blaise Zabini exclaimed, punching Draco Malfoy in his shoulder. "I didn't know Asian chicks were so good-looking."

"Yes I saw her. And Blaise, honestly, did you even know what Asians look like?" A bored Draco answered. "And another thing, Blaise. Do you know what volume control is? You can't shout about her all over the place when she's in our house."

"Fine," conceded Blaise as he collapsed into an armchair next to Draco. "But she doesn't seem very Slytherin, does she? You know how the Slytherin girls are." He smirked.

"Slutty, dense and loud bitches? Yeah sure, I know how they are." replied Draco.

Blaise continued, "I mean, she's so quiet. You heard the hat, she's smart and everything, and from the way she's working, she could even match up to Hermione Granger." Blaise looked in the direction of Alessandria, who was sitting in the corner of the Slytherin common room, reading her Potions textbook at amazing speed. "Hah, now we've got the Hermione Granger of Slytherin."

"Oh joy, we really need another know-it-all, don't we, Blaise?" Draco responded sarcastically. "But in any case, you're right. She is, sort of different. She doesn't have the air of a Slytherin. 'Neither did she even look at me from dinner till now. That's a first.' thought Draco. Girls usually swarmed to him like bees to honey. Draco felt a grimace on his face. "She is a pureblood, right?"

Blaise could not help but laugh at Draco's contorted expression. "Miffed that she didn't notice you? And a pretty one at that. And yes, she is a pureblood. Daphne asked her during dinner. Her expression when she said 'yes' was kind of strange though, as if being a pureblood was nothing fantastic. Wonder why…" Blaise's expression then turned distant, as he thought of why Alessandria acted the way she did.

Draco stood up and walked towards his dormitory. He was tired. However, just before he closed the door to the dormitory, he called out to Blaise. "Take your time to figure it out. And when you're done, I might ask you why." Then the door closed quietly.

As Draco lay in his bed, he could not help but think of Alessandria and what Blaise said. Like Blaise, he could not help but wonder why she reacted the way she did to Daphne's question. Draco also could not help but dwell on the fact that she had not even cast a glance in his direction. That was a first.

Clenching his teeth, Draco was determined to get her to talk to him somehow. He was Draco freaking Malfoy. He was the Slytherin Prince and every sane girl's dream. No girl got away with shunning him.

"No girl." He whispered to himself as he fell asleep.


	2. Girl You Know

**Disclaimer: I don't own HP! just the new girl and plot for this fanfic (:**

**Please R&R xoxo**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

Draco's first class was Potions with Snape. He dragged his feet to the classroom, still tired. He did not sleep very well last night, so there were dark shadows under his eyes. Anyone who stepped on his toes today was asking for trouble. When Draco entered the classroom, he noticed that all the seats were taken up except for the one next to black-haired girl whose back was facing him. As he moved closer, he realized that it was Alessandria.

'Damn', Draco slapped himself internally. There was no way he could impress anyone in the state he was in, much less cause a girl who ignored him since yesterday to talk to him. Realizing that there was nothing he could do, he sighed and sat down next to her. He kept reminding himself that there was no reason to get so uptight about this. He was Draco Malfoy.

Snape entered soon after and class went on, not momentous in the least. The normal things happened. One or two Gryffindor's fell asleep, only to have points deducted by Snape. Potter, Weasel and Mudblood were in one corner, with Mudblood taking down notes furiously while the other two just had blank faces. It was a very normal scene.

Draco also could not help but notice that Alessandria still had not cast a look in his direction. He could tell that she was not trying to ignore him on purpose, but it was simply as if he wasn't there at all. 'Something is wrong with the world,' Draco thought to himself.

Finally, class ended and Draco could not stand it anymore.

"Hello, my name is Draco Malfoy. You're the new girl, Alessandria, right?" He said coolly, not wanted to betray the exasperation and disbelief he was feeling.

"Hello, Draco Malfoy. Yes, I am Alessandria. Pleased to meet you." She answered in a crystal clear voice, without looking up from packing her things. That irked Draco even more.

Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "It's rude not to make eye contact when you speak with someone, Alessandria. Did anyone teach you any manners?" Draco was surprised that there was a vicious note in his voice. She was a Slytherin, for goodness sake! He should at least be civil.

Slowly, Alessandria looked up, piercing him with her black eyes. She did not seem offended at all, but her face held a blank, yet ironically, thoughtful expression. It was rather like Luna Lovegood's expression, but not quite, at the same time. It was much more grounded. She assessed him with her eyes and Draco felt squirmy under her gaze. It seemed like forever before she responded.

"I'm sorry then, Draco Malfoy. That was very rude of me."

Draco blinked. "Oh… That's alright. Erm…" Unsure of what to do, he held out his hand.

Alessandria stood up and shook his hand once. "Thank you for being so kind. I must get to my next class now. Goodbye, I'll see you around."

She walked off without a second glance, and Draco just sat there. He knew he was going to be late for his next class but he did not care. There was only one thought that reverberated in his mind.

'What the hell was that?'

* * *

><p>Alessandria ate her meals alone. She was not really alone though, considering that she ate when everyone else ate, but she hardly talked to anyone. After the excitement about having a new fifth year died down, she became the lonely new girl. In truth, Alessandria did not particularly mind it. She would have minded if she had to go through this stage two years ago, but after that incident happened, she needed time alone to be with her thoughts.<p>

Today, she was just thinking about how Hogwarts had been for her. The Slytherins were nice enough, she supposed, but it was no secret that Slytherin was the most hated house in Hogwarts since most of the people in it were mean, elitist and extremely picky about blood purity. She sighed, as she thought about blood purity. Alessandria stopped herself before her thoughts could turn toward a darker direction. She picked at the broccoli she was eating and a smiled a little internally as the incident with Draco Malfoy came into her mind. Actually, 'smirked' was a better word. He had such a big ego. It was written all over his face. He was also very miffed that she did not pay any attention to him.

Alessandria knew what he was thinking, and knew what every other boy in Slytherin thought of her. They thought she was gorgeous and she knew she was. They thought she was smart and she knew she was. She also knew that they thought she was rather queer, though she only had a small clue why. Alessandria had not been around in Hogwarts long enough to have a definite answer. It had only been one week.

Alessandria's train of thought was cut short, when she felt someone tap her on the arm. She looked up and saw Daphne Greengrass waving in her face. "Earth to Alessandria!" smiled Daphne.

Alessandria returned the smile, "Yes, Daphne?"

"So I heard you met Draco Malfoy?" Daphne smirked, tapping her perfectly manicured nails on the table. Alessandria could see where this was going, so she gave Daphne her signature blank look.

"Yes I did. We had Potions together earlier this week."

"So? How was it? What do you think of him?" Daphne pressed.

Alessandria shrugged, and returned to cut her roast beef into smaller bits. "He was okay. He introduced himself and that's it."

Alessandria expected some sort of response from Daphne, but when she didn't get one, she looked up and saw Daphne staring open-mouthed at her, with a flabbergasted look on her face. Alessandria gave her a curious look. "What?"

"Hold up!" Daphne held her hands up with a look of disbelief on her face. "You had Potions with Draco Malfoy. He introduced himself and that was it? And you think he's only okay?" Daphne's jaw dropped when Alessandria just nodded and gave her the curious look again.

"Boy, have you got your boys mixed up. This is Draco Malfoy we are talking about. If Slytherin had royalty, he's the king. Every girl in school has a major crush on him, and if they don't, at the very least they think he's blazin' hot. Even the Gryffindors aren't an exception! And you're telling me he's only 'okay'? Wow. Who are you?"

Alessandria could not help but laugh softly at Daphne's outburst. So Draco Malfoy was king, wasn't he? Well, unfortunately, she would not be part of his kingdom. She could not resist asking Daphne this though.

"So you like him?"

Daphne's face immediately flushed red and she stammered, "Well, not really… I used to, but this isn't a story for today."

Alessandria accepted this answer, not wanting to push further. "Well I'm sure Draco is a nice person, but I hardly know him to form a proper judgment on what he's like. As for his appearance, I'll admit that he's pretty decent-looking."

It was Daphne's turn to laugh, and she could not help but shake her head at Alessandria. To Daphne, Alessandria seemed to be so blind to the fact that Draco Malfoy was handsomest boy in school. 'Oh, naïve little girl,' Daphne chuckled inwardly, before continuing with a smile. "Alessandria, you're nice and I like you. If you ever want to hang out, feel free to find me. Oh, and if you're interested, the try outs for this year's Slytherin Quidditch team is tomorrow at 11am at the field. There are some spots available, I imagine."

The smile that appeared on Alessandria's face was the biggest Daphne had seen so far, and her eyes lit up like black fire. "Thanks Daphne. Quidditch is my favourite sport."

"Really? What position do you play?

"In Azalea, I was the Seeker." Alessandria answered proudly.

"Oh no, that's Draco's position."


	3. Who's That Chick

**Disclaimer: Once again, i don't own HP! just the new kid and the fanfic plot (:**

**Please R&R! thank you!  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

Draco did not think he had ever been speechless in his life. He usually had something to say, always. But today, words failed him when the new girl, Alessandria, came up to him during the try outs for the Slytherin Quidditch team and told him that she wanted to try out for the position of Seeker.

It took him a minute to finally spit out, "You can't do that! I'm the Seeker!" He still could not believe this was happening.

"Then I'll play you for it." Alessandria replied calmly.

The atmosphere surrounding the Slytherins was very tense. The Captain, Samson Parks, was out with a cold, so Malfoy as Vice-Captain was taking charge of the try outs. All the Slytherins knew that no one in the right mind challenged Draco Malfoy. It was like asking to be kissed by the Dementors. Normally, they would have laughed at the idiot who was asking to challenge Malfoy, but today, everyone just stared silently. At that point, they really thought that the new girl was crazy.

"What? Why is everyone staring?" She looked around nervously at first, but then regained her usual poise and said to Draco, "Well?"

This was a tough one for Draco. He knew that Alessandria was not an idiot. She would only ask to be a Seeker and seek to challenge him if she knew she stood a chance. If he received the challenge and lost, he would be humiliated but Slytherin could win. If he denied it for his pride, Slytherin could continue to lose to that blasted Gryffindor and half-blood Potter. 'Tough one, Draco,' he thought to himself.

Draco took a while to think, and while he thought, he took the opportunity to really look at Alessandria. Blaise was not kidding. She was beautiful. That's when a thought popped into his mind, 'If I play her and I lose, I will still be on the team and then I can get to know her! Yes! At least I get to keep one title.'

"Okay, I'll play you for it" Draco finally answered. As he said that, he thought he could hear a few jaws drop. "But there's a little problem. We don't have enough players to make it a proper match."

Alessandria smirked then. "I'll take care of it." She said, before running off from the field back to the castle.

* * *

><p>Harry was doing his Divinity homework in the noisy Gryffindor common room, when he thought he heard a knock on the portrait door to the Gryffindor dormitories. Wondering who it could be, he opened the portrait door. He was very surprised to see a flushed, smiling Alessandria.<p>

Huffing, Alessandria held out her hand and said, "Harry Potter, isn't it? I've heard of you."

Harry shook her hand, still somewhat shocked that a Slytherin could actually be friendly, and confused as to why she was outside his house dormitories. "Yes. Erm, can I help you?"

"I was just wondering if you and your Quidditch team would like to go to the field and play a game with the Slytherins." Alessandria, upon seeing his confused expression change to a glare, quickly backtracked and explained herself. "I'm asking because I want to try out for the position of Seeker on the Slytherin team, and to get it I have to beat Draco Malfoy to it. We don't have enough players on the Slytherin team to form two teams, so I was hoping that you could help with that."

Harry just stared at her, thinking the same thoughts the Slytherins thought. 'Is she crazy? She wants to challenge the idiotic ferret? This I have to see.' So Harry made his decision, and told Alessandria to go back to the field while he got his team ready. Before he closed the portrait door, he gave Alessandria a kind smile and said, "I don't really know you, but whoever dares to challenge Malfoy, especially when you two are in the same house… You have my respect."

The last look he saw on Alessandria's face was that curious look that Alessandria seemed to be giving out a lot the past few days.

* * *

><p>When Harry announced this invitation from Alessandria to his team, he got several reactions. Some of the Gryffindors cheered, keen to see Malfoy get beaten by a girl, and a pretty one, no less. Some were doubtful of this whole arrangement, as if it could be all part of some conspiracy. "Isn't it fishy that a Slytherin asks us to play with them?" A voice called out.<p>

"Cut her some slack, she's new," sighed Harry. "Ron? What do you say?"

Before his red-headed friend could answer, Hogwarts' resident brain, Hermione Granger, walked in and said, "I say you all should go for it."

A whole chorus of "why's" filled the room.

"Why not?" Hermione replied, folding her arms around her chest. "What do you stand to lose? If you lose, you all still would have gotten some practise, and if you win, then that's great for boasting right? And if you win, that probably means that Alessandria caught the snitch, and I say I'd rather have her as Seeker than that ferret. She's nice, even if she's from Slytherin. Honestly, I don't know why she's in there."

The group exchanged several looks and nods, and then Ron said, "Alright. We're in. Let's go watch the new girl kick some ferret ass."


	4. Modern Chemistry

**Disclaimer: i don't own HP! just the new girl and fanfic plot.**

**please R&R! thanks!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

"Alessandria, of all people to bring, you bring Potter, Weasel and company? I know you're new, BUT ARE YOU INSANE?" Draco could not believe this. Alessandria went to find his greatest enemies to work with her to challenge him. Was she in Slytherin or was she not? He was beyond words.

Alessandria pretended that Draco did not speak at all, and turned to address the rest of the Slytherins. "I asked the Gryffindors to play with us because the last I've checked, they won the Quidditch Cup last year. I suppose this would be a good time for us to practise after a long break. Slytherin will have to work harder if they want to beat Gryffindor. That goes without saying. Since I want to be a Seeker and Draco over here is the current seeker, I need a team to challenge him with. Besides, like I said, this is extra practise."

After she explained her bold action, the Slytherins mumbled in agreement. Her presence and obvious charisma was something none of them could fight with. Since Draco was too stunned to object, the teams took his silence as consent. Shrugging, the Gryffindors and Slytherins went off to get ready for the challenge.

"Wyndham!" Draco bellowed as she walked off to get ready. "How can you just do that? I am the Vice-Captain here! You can't just send my team off like that." Draco could not figure out whether he was more shocked or angry. He had just been upstaged by a girl.

Alessandria stopped walking and spun around to face Draco, with a dangerous glint in her intense black eyes. Her hair slapped him in the face. "Do you have any other suggestions, Malfoy? Do you have any other suggestions that would put a worthy opponent against Slytherin? I know Slytherin is good, and I'm simply respecting Slytherin, respecting us, by giving us a worthy opponent. Is that so wrong?" Her tone was even and neutral, but warning under it was still detectable. "If you don't mind, I'd like to find out whether I'll be the Seeker this year or not." With that, she strutted off to the Gryffindor platform.

For the second time this week, all Draco could think was, 'What the hell?'

* * *

><p>"Ready?" Harry called. He was not playing as Alessandria was playing as Seeker with the Gryffindors.<p>

A wave of nods and affirmatives were heard, followed by a sharp, piercing whistle that cut through the air, signaling the start of the match. Brooms zoomed up skyward, creating a loud whooshing sound.

Harry ran up to the stands, eager to watch the show. He was not sure what he wanted to see. He did want to see Alessandria own the ferret, but that would mean that she could beat Gryffindor in the actual match. He watched closely, watching Slytherin's every move and watching the spectacle between Alessandria and Draco unfold.

They had both flown up high above the field, trying to get a glimpse of the golden snitch. Meanwhile, below them, a fierce fight went on between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Quaffles and bludgers were flying everywhere. Harry noticed that the fight, intense as it was, was not as fierce as it would have normally been. Everyone's eye was still on the two Seekers.

Draco flew up close to Alessandria, hoping to catch the snitch before she did. Both of them were looking intently for the snitch that they failed to see a dark shadow flying toward them at high speed till the very last moment.

"Alessandria! Look out!" Draco shouted, as he saw a bludger hurtling towards her. He was not going to take any chances, so he too accelerated forward, escaping the bludger. From the corner of his eye, he noticed how quick Alessandria was. Anyone with slightly slower reflexes would have been knocked out cold by the black mass of pain, but not her. She shot off so fast from its path, that one millisecond she was there, and the next, she was not.

Suddenly, Draco spotted some gold. Alessandria had spotted it too. The two of them raced down towards to golden snitch, which was flying dangerously close to the ground. If either of them did not pull out fast enough, they would hit face first into the ground.

Alessandria knew this too, but she had gone through enough matches to know what to do. She leant forward, pushing her broom's speed near to its limit. Draco was doing the same, but she could see on his face that he was not confident of pulling this off. The ground approached quickly and Alessandria could feel the wind slap against her face. They were about two metres above the ground and then she could feel that Draco had pulled out of it, sure that she would too.

Alessandria did not, though. She knew exactly what to do.

She held her hand out and the next thing she knew, her fingers closed around something small, cold and fluttery. This was it. She had less than a second to do this or she could die. With all her strength, just as her feet could touch the ground, Alessandria jumped off her broom. Keeping her grip on the handle tight, she kicked off the ground and redirected her broom up towards to sky again, wrapped her legs around it, snitch in hand. As she did this, she heard several shouts and screams, but she knew that she had done it once again. Her thoughts were echoed by the Gryffindors, who cheered and shouted for Slytherin's new Seeker.

Draco was waiting on the ground for her. She landed gracefully, and smiled the biggest smile he had seen her wear ever. Draco was not sure what his faced looked like. It probably showed a mix of anger, disbelief, shock and amazement. Amazed, that was how he felt, even though he was not the Seeker anymore. Alessandria never failed to amaze him.

"What the hell was that, Alessandria?" Draco shouted. He tried to sound angry, but he was just too amazed. "You could have died!"

"But I didn't." Alessandria replied, handing him the snitch. Her face was flushed and her cheeks were rosy from the exercise. That made her even more stunning.

With a pat to Draco's back, she whispered into his ear, sending shivers down his spine.

"Looks like I'm the new Seeker for Slytherin, doesn't it?"


	5. Fall For You

**Chapter Five**

"If I said I wasn't amazed by you, I'd be lying, Alessandria." Daphne exclaimed, slapping her forehead as Alessandria related the Quidditch match with Draco to her.

"Why?"

Daphne cleared her throat, and lifted up her hand to use her fingers to count. "First, you do not have a crush on Draco freaking Malfoy. Secondly, you got Potter to agree to let his team play Quidditch with you on their side. Thirdly, and most importantly, you kicked Draco off his spot of Seeker! He's been Seeker for the past three years! Girl, you're really stepping on his toes. Are you some sort of revolutionist? You do everything a normal Slytherin doesn't!"

Alessandria looked puzzled. Tapping her finger against her chin, she asked, "What does a typical Slytherin do? How do people expect me to behave?"

"Hmmm," Daphne looked thoughtful. "For starters, I should think that we don't have a very good reputation in the school. Others think we're kind of mean and elitist. I admit a lot of us are. Slytherins are cunning, ambitious and resourceful. I don't know, sometimes I guess we step over people to get what we want. I guess, in summary, people expect us to be assholes."

Alessandria frowned. "That's not very nice. I don't think I am the typical Slytherin girl, then. Not most of the time anyway. I imagine I can be very Slytherin-like when I'm mad, but I guess we all can be." However, as she said this, she knew she was lying. Alessandria had a pretty good idea why she was in Slytherin, to tell the truth. She was not about tell anyone that, though.

Daphne laughed, and she could not resist. Alessandria was so, there was no other word to use but, cute. She was so nice that it was hard to believe she was in Slytherin.

"But in any case," continued Daphne, "I'm rather surprised you're not in Gryffindor, the house for those supposedly brave at heart. As far as I'm concerned, you have serious guts."

* * *

><p>Three months had passed after the challenge, where Alessandria officially became the new Slytherin Seeker. Draco now knew the meaning of the word 'bittersweet'. He felt rather put out that he was constantly upstaged by Alessandria. Not only did she beat him in Quidditch, but she was on par with Hermione Granger, which made her better than him in studies. How in Merlin's name did she do that? Alessandria was so perfect. It made no sense to him.<p>

"So," Blaise started, "Any developments with San?"

"With who?"

"San, Alessandria, San? Pretty Asian girl who kicked your ass in Quidditch?" Blaise teased. This was really too much fun.

Draco kept quiet as they walked down the tunnels that led to the Slytherin dormitories. He would have loved to say that he and Alessandria had hit it off after she got into the Quidditch team, but he could not. They trained together, but that hardly meant anything. She had hardly glanced in his direction for the past three months, much less talked to him. That was how Alessandria pretty much behaved though. The only person she actually talked to was Daphne Greengrass, so maybe it was not that bad for Draco. On occasion, Granger, Weasel and Potter said hello to her. Despite that, he could not help but feel sour about it.

"I think I might like her, Blaise, just a little. " Draco admitted grudgingly.

"Dude, you don't need to be a genius to figure that out. It's so bloody obvious."

"Gee thanks, Blaise. I really needed that."

Blaise patted Draco on the shoulder. "It'll be alright, dude. You always get the girl." Blaise chuckled, and threw Draco a sly wink, causing Draco to roll his eyes.

When they reached the portrait door, Blaise called out the password, "Slimy slugs" and the portrait flew open, allowing them to get into the Slytherin common room. Draco's eyes darted around and he noticed Alessandria bent over her books and homework in her usual corner, scribbling away. He could have sworn that his heart skipped a beat when he saw her. 'She's so beautiful,' he thought. 'Oh crap, Draco. What happened to you? Girls should be thinking this way about you, not the other way round!'

"Go talk to her." Blaise nudged him in the arm and mouthed the words.

Uncertain, Draco walked slowly towards Alessandria, with not the slightest clue as to what to say to her. He hoped that she would look up and see him approaching before he reached her, but he had no such luck.

"Erm, h-hey Alessandria." Draco stammered. 'What on earth is happening to me?' he scolded himself internally.

Alessandria looked up and gave him one of her bland smiles, "Hey Draco, what's up?"

Draco felt like an idiot. He just stood there and stared, not knowing what to say. His eyes felt like they were going to just fall out of his face. Before he could stop himself, he burst out in front of Alessandria again, saying, "Can I call you San? Like as a nickname?"

Alessandria raised an eyebrow. They waited like that for a while, as if she was waiting for him to be serious. Finally, she figured that he was being serious. Breathing out deeply, she replied, "I guess? I don't have a nickname for you though."

Draco felt a wide grin spread on his face. "That's alright. Thanks, San."

She gave him another of her curious looks and asked, "Erm, are you alright Draco? You don't look too well. You don't seem to be breathing, actually."

As soon as she said this, he never felt like a bigger idiot, but he could not stop smiling. "I'm fine, thanks. Goodnight, San. You should get some sleep." With that he turned around and walked back to his dormitory, leaving Alessandria staring at him as if he grew another head.

'You, Draco Malfoy, are the biggest idiot alive. Now get that ridiculous grin off your face.' He commanded himself.

But he could not.


	6. Don't Look Now

**Chapter Six**

Draco seemed to lack self-control when Alessandria was around. He could not figure out why he found her so fascinating, or so attractive. Perhaps it was that cloud of mystery that seemed to float around her, or perhaps it was the fact that she showed as little emotion as he. Perhaps it was because she was the only girl, especially in Slytherin, who did not throw herself at him at first glance.

If he could, he would sit next to her during classes. If he could not, Draco found his eyes constantly darting to where she was, and found that he often had to squash that little hope in his heart that often flared up that she might look at him. Draco tried to make conversation with her, but to little avail. Alessandria's usual response was a sentence or two, followed by her bland smile. It drove Draco up the wall, seeing her lack of interest in him. He was not used to being so… ignored. That was it. Alessandria was like the forbidden fruit in Eden. While Draco technically could have her, he could not, all at the same time.

Another thing Draco noticed about Alessandria was that every Monday and Thursday, she would leave the group of Slytherins to go to another part of the castle. For whatever reason, Draco could not fathom. He also could not follow her without being discovered, so Draco had to sit with that itch of not knowing what Alessandria did with her Monday and Thursday late afternoons.

It was Monday again, and once more, Draco noticed Alessandria taking her leave.

'There she goes again, should I follow her?' Draco debated internally, weighing the pros and cons against each other. Finally he decided that this itch was getting too burdensome, and that it was time he scratched it.

Draco followed her stealthily, often hiding pillars to avoid discovery. He felt like a spy on some sort of secret mission. 'This had better be worth it," he thought. He followed her, and soon, Draco realized that Alessandria's visits on Mondays and Thursdays were to Greenhouse Ten.

'Why does she come here?' Draco thought to himself. Greenhouse Ten was strictly out of bounds to students, and there was no way she could go there regularly without being discovered by Professor Sprout.

Draco stiffened when he saw Alessandria pause before entering the Greenhouse after she had unlocked it. Had she discovered that he was following her?

"You can come out now, Draco. I know you're following me." Alessandria's emotionless voice called out.

Draco sighed. 'Nothing escapes her notice, does it?' He grumbled inwardly. "Alright, alright. You win, San." Draco came out from behind the pillar, holding his hands up. "What're you doing here, anyway? It's out of bounds, you know."

Alessandria smirked, and there a slight twinkle in her ebony eyes. Draco felt a light tug at his heart.

"I know." That was all Alessandria said, before darting into the greenhouse.

* * *

><p>The smell of fresh plants and soil wafted in the air. The stench from the Bondroms was covered up by the pleasant, sweet smell of the Fire Lilies. A little wind that blew into the greenhouse carried the smells, and Draco felt himself enveloped in them. A sense of calm came about him. He took another deep breath, before returning to the mystery before him.<p>

"What're you doing, San? You still haven't answered my question." Draco called out to Alessandria again. He was bursting at the seams with curiosity.

He watched her every movement intently. Alessandria went to the furthest corner of the greenhouse, and there stood a small wooden chest, evidently locked by a spell. Alessandria took her wand out and muttered an unlocking charm, a charm which was more complicated than a simple _Alohomora_. The lid of the chest flew open and all Draco could see in the chest was a box-like thing covered in black cloth. 'What on earth?' Draco thought.

Alessandria then moved on to the next corner of the greenhouse, stopping in front of a rather ugly looking flower. The flowers grew in single stalks, and the petals looked like they were carved from rock. They were rough around the edges and had a dirty grey colour. Draco had never seen a plant like that in his life. He glanced at Alessandria from the corner of his eye and watched as she gently caressed the petals of the ugly looking flower, as if it was soft like the skin of a newborn baby. 'What are they?' Draco seemed to be asking a lot of questions today, whether in his head or not.

"Rockrosa." Alessandria said quietly, as if she was answering the question in his mind. "And this," gesturing to the box, "is Isphora, otherwise known as Angel Fire. It is the lighter sister to Fiendfyre."

Alessandria pulled the black cloth of the box and a brilliant blue filled the room. The box was made of diamond and inside it, burned a fire that seemed as if it appeared out of nowhere. It was the colour of sapphires and it burned with an intensity that Draco had never seen before. The aura surrounding the flames was so overwhelming, so consuming. Just looking at it, Draco's mind was filled with images of angels, Heaven, and holy fire. That was it. This was holy fire, the fire of the angels. He was looking at something eternal, pure and powerful. Despite the fear it struck in him, Draco felt entranced by the dancing sapphire flames.

Alessandria never got over the beauty of looking at Isphora. She watched the flames jump and lick the diamond case and from the corner of her eye, she saw that same reaction brought out of Draco. She sighed contentedly, thankful that Professor Sprout had given her permission to tend to her Rockrosas. She moved over to the Rockrosas and pulled out a single flower. Alessandria then went back to the diamond case and carefully opened the lid.

"What are you doing? You can't play with fire!" Draco snapped out of his reverie when he saw Alessandria open the box containing Isphora. He had heard about what Fiendfyre did. If Isphora behaved the same way, Alessandria was as good as opening Pandora's Box.

"It'll be fine, Draco. I know what I'm doing. Isphora lives and it knows. It senses your heart and your motives. If your heart is right, it won't burn you." Alessandria looked up and gave him a brief smile, before returning to the task at hand.

Draco watched, stunned, as Alessandria stuck her hand into the fire and pull a few flames out, as if it was like sand. The small fire in her hand burned vibrantly, licking her hand, embracing her touch. Alessandria then took a bottle out of her robes and gently placed the small fire in it. Next, she took the stalk of Rockrosa and stuck it into the bottle before stoppering it. Draco could not help but notice that her hand was unscathed and looked perfectly normal, even after she had touched fire.

Holding up the bottle, Alessandria whispered, "Look."

Draco wondered what she wanted him to see. All he saw was the Rockrosa lying still among the dancing flames. There was nothing spectacular, but that was like a hair-like crack appeared on the petal of the Rockrosa. The crack started to grow, and more cracks started appearing. The cracks spread all over the flower like a spider web, and as the gaps between the cracks enlarged, a soft silver glow came out. The rock that seemed to coat the petals of the Rockrosa got smaller and smaller and the silver light got brighter. Finally, it seemed like silver light from the transforming Rockrosa was fighting against the blue glow of the Isphora. The whole greenhouse was filled with the radiance that came from this little bottle. Draco was momentarily blinded, but the light soon subsided. All that was left in the bottle was a pile of pale blue crystals. As the light reflected off the crystals, pale blue sparkles danced against the glass. There was no other word to describe it, apart from beautiful.

"What was that?" Draco asked softly, still entranced with what he had just seen.

"The real petals of the Rockrosa are made of a precious substance. To get the substance, one must break through the rock-like encasing. It's not ordinary rock and one can't use ordinary means to destroy the rock. Isphora is the best way to get rid of it. It's powerful enough to break through the rock, yet gentle enough not to destroy the real petals. I don't know how it happens, but the Isphora causes the petals to solidify into pale blue crystals." She shook the bottle lightly. "The crystals are what we want."

"What do the crystals do?" Draco asked again, awed yet mystified at the same time.

Alessandria winked at him. "That's for me to know, and you to find out."

* * *

><p>"So, erm, how did you get permission from Professor Sprout to play with the Rockrosa?" Draco spoke up, trying to break the awkward silence between them as they walked back to the Slytherin dormitories.<p>

"Back in Azalea, I was in the Advanced Class for Herbology. My parents asked Professor Sprout to let me do this. It was necessary and they explained to her why. It's a secret of theirs, why they need this. I don't even know myself." Alessandria shrugged.

Draco tried once more. "Could you please tell me what the crystals do?" He pressed, once again.

"No. I will tell you this." A wistful expression slipped onto Alessandria's face, and she sounded as if her thoughts were really far away. "People are like Rockrosas; Ugly, hard and stone cold. Yet, it is safer for them to stay that way, I guess. Some of them may go through a painful cleansing, like with the Isphora just now, but when they emerge, they are beautiful and pure. I've learnt that being good and pure does not save you, though." Sadness crept into her voice, but she continued. "In fact, sometimes it is an utter disservice to oneself. Things can go terribly wrong."

"So if the crystals are put in the wrong hands, things could go awry?" Draco pieced that together.

Alessandria sighed, and returned to reality. "Oh yes, definitely. I'll have to keep this safe."

They had reached the Slytherin common room already, and it was time for them to part to their own dormitories.

Draco ran his hand through his hair. "Alright then. I guess I'll see you around?"

"Yep. Goodbye, Draco." Alessandria nodded, before walking off into the girls' dormitory.

Draco was not sure if he was hearing things, he but thought he had heard someone say something to him. He quickly looked around, but no one seemed to be talking to him. 'Strange,' Draco thought to himself. Then, he heard that strange, soft whisper again.

'Keep yourself safe, Draco. Be safe.'


	7. Someone Like You

**Chapter Seven**

_Alessandria could not believe her eyes. Her best friend and arch enemy in death grip. She did not know what to feel. Whatever feelings of disgust and hatred she had were overshadowed by immense fear._

"_Grab my hand, Michael! I'll pull you up!" A voice shouted, full of desperation._

"_Are you crazy? If you don't let go we're both going to die!"_

_Shouts and screams filled the air. Alessandria could not comprehend what was going on - the two of them, holding onto each other for dear life, the weak rocks, the slipping of hands, the falling away of two lives. She felt her eyes go wet and a shriek escaped her throat, and then everything went black._

Alessandria shot up in her bed into a sitting position, cold sweat running down her temples. Her heart was beating so fast as if she had just finished a marathon. The nightmares were coming back. She felt a single tear fall down her face, but that was just a tiny fraction of the pain she felt in the inside. The pain never went away. Their deaths took place years ago, but the pain was still as fresh. It felt as if the nightmare grew hands and rip the bandage off her heart, and fresh blood was oozing out.

She looked around the dormitory, and all she could hear were soft snores and deep breathing. All the Slytherins were fast asleep. Alessandria checked her watch. It was three a.m. in the morning. No one should be awake at this time. 'I need to get away. I need to do something to take my mind off the nightmare.' She thought to herself. Quietly, she got out of bed, opened her trunk to retrieve some old letters from her mother, and stole out of the dormitory into the common room.

As she approached her usual corner in the common room, she noticed something different about it. There was a human figure sitting at her table, with hair which looked silver in the dim light. The person's hand was limply closed around an empty bottle, while his hand was used to prop his head up. The man was rubbing his face, soft groans coming from his throat.

'Draco Malfoy, drunk,' Alessandria thought to herself, which was coloured with disdain. However stoned he looked, he look awake though.

"Draco? Are you awake?" She tapped him on the shoulder.

"Huh? What?" Draco answered groggily, rubbing his eyes. "Who-who are you?"

"Alessandria."

Awareness crept into Draco's face and his mind cleared a little when he realized he was talking to Alessandria. "Oh hi, San. Erm, take a seat. What are you doing awake at this time?"

She rolled her eyes inwardly. It had been about a week since he asked if he could call her 'San'. "I might ask you the same question, Draco." Alessandria quietly pulled a chair out and took a seat. "I didn't know Hogwarts allowed their students to drink…" She peered at the label on the bottle before continuing, "Firewhiskey. Draco, surely you know better."

"Tomorrow's Saturday. No one will care very much that I drank tonight. Why are you awake?"

Alessandria pursed her lips. Should she tell him? Maybe she should tell him a little bit, at least to explain why she was awake. "I had a nightmare and I couldn't go back to sleep."

Draco looked at her, and she could see his expression clearing. Alessandria had to give it to him. He knew how to hold his liquor. Firewhiskey was no joke.

"Tell me about it?"

"No, it's fine." Alessandria looked away. She could not even bear to think about what happened, and much less have the words coming out of her mouth. Then, a thought came to her. "Why were you drinking?"

Draco contemplated this question. He knew why he was drinking, but would it be wise to tell her? He wanted so much so share his burdens with her but that would be very selfish of him. This internal debate carried on in him for a while, with Alessandria waiting silently next to him. 'She's a pureblood and I'm guessing her parents aren't here. As long as I don't let it slip that she exists to him, she should be fine.' Draco reasoned with himself. Finally, he told her.

"I received some news yesterday. You know, you-know-who, right? The Dark Lord?"

Alessandria nodded slowly, fear suddenly prickling in her heart.

"My father told me yesterday that I am going to be a… Death Eater. I was just downing this news with Firewhiskey." Draco stumbled to get the words out. In the first hour or so when he got this news, he could not help but revel in the fact he was chosen by the Dark Lord. However, as he heard rumors of what he had to do, he just felt overwhelmed. He felt doubtful of himself. He did not think he could do that if that was really what Voldemort wanted him to do.

Draco looked up at Alessandria, and upon seeing the grave expression on her face, he quickly added, "Don't worry, you're a pureblood. You're safe."

Her expression did not change. It was as if she did not hear his words of assurance. Obviously, Alessandria heard about Voldemort. It was not possible to exist in the wizarding world and not know who Voldemort was. She never felt directly affected, though. Having lived in Asia for so long, Voldemort did not seem to be a big part of her life, especially since, as Draco said, she was a pureblood. However, if Voldemort really knew how she felt about blood status, she did not think that she would be as safe as Draco thought she would be. Things were going to be different, since she came to Hogwarts. A shiver went down her spine. Alessandria was not about to tell him that, though.

Plastering a fake smile on her face, Alessandria forced the words out of her mouth. "Yeah, I guess I'll be fine." She cringed inwardly, knowing what he meant, and hoped fervently that he would change the topic.

Draco could see through her fake smile. Now, he finally saw firsthand what Blaise meant when he said that she had the strangest expression when she talked about blood purity. The two of them just looked at each other, both waiting for the other to say something. The silence was deafening. Draco did not seem to have a good sense of self-control everytime he was around Alessandria, so before he could stop himself, he blurted out again without thinking for the hundredth time.

"I think I like you, San."

Alessandria, having heard this statement many times back when she was in Azalea, gave Draco a patronizing smile. She knew what the boys wanted. They wanted to get laid by a hot chick and then boast to their friends. They would ditch her, if they got what they wanted. She knew how to handle these boys. The best cure for such playboys was to give them a taste of their own medicine. Draco would be no different.

"Oh? Really? That's nice, Draco." She changed her smile from patronizing to lazy and slightly seductive. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently. Alessandria looked up at him and purred, "It's really late. I should get back to sleep." She let go of his hand, patted it, got up and went back to her dormitory.

* * *

><p>Draco's mind was a haze. He could still feel the touch of her soft skin on his hand. It was more intoxicating than ten bottles of Firewhiskey. The way she looked at him, her voice… Draco kept on replaying it in his mind. He did not want to forget that look on her face. It warmed him and made desire course through his veins.<p>

He did not sleep until two hours later. He went to bed but just lay in it with his eyes closed but mind awake. Draco could still feel the effect she had on him, but a small voice at the back of his betrayed the blissfulness that he felt.

'What did she mean by, "Oh? Really? That's nice?"? What does that mean?'

Draco did his very best to push that unpleasant thought out of his head. He wanted indulge in the feel of Alessandria hand against his forever, undisturbed. He knew it was pathetic, considering there were other girls around who would give him more than their hand, but this was Alessandria.

The fact that she was so untouchable made the challenge so much sweeter.


End file.
